Cristian Katini (L) and Stefan Henze were involved in a car accident early Friday morning

Stefan Henze, a silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics and Christian Kading, sports scientist with the German canoe team, were returning to the Olympic Village by taxi along Avenida das Américas, west zone of Rio, when the head on collision happened.

According to paramedics, who attended the scene and the Games Organising Committee, the pair were ‘travelling in a taxi on the way to the Olympic Village, when the driver lost control of the vehicle. It crossed over and crashed on the opposite side of Avenida das Americas.’

Henze (L), who won silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and sport scientist Katini were returning to Olympic village when the head-on collision took place

In a statement, the taxi driver Artur de Almeida Campos, 26, claimed Christian had suddenly grabbed the wheel as he took a fork in the road on the main Avenida das Americas and the car smashed head-on into a concrete barrier.

The German Olympic delegation revealed that Stefan was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered major head injuries in the collision. Christian and the taxi driver escaped with cuts and bruises.